Lonely No More
by Kate Barancik
Summary: Desmond finds something unexpected in the jungle.
1. Chapter 1

Lonely No More

Chapter One

Summary: Desmond finds his destiny.

Rating: So far, PG, but could go higher

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost, Desmond, Jack, etc. That's all Abrams. Damn you, Abrams, damn you to hell! But not really. Cause I love you.

A/N: If this first chapter is confusing, it's supposed to be. Everything will be explained in due time, my precious. I was trying to make this story as "Lost-like" as possible.

Desmond ran with every little ounce of energy he could muster. He ran until his side ached and he felt like throwing up. He ran until, finally, he tripped over a fallen limb from one of the nearby trees. For a moment all he did was lay there, breathing heavily, and removed a gun from his pocket. He turned to lay on his back, staring up to the tree thicket above him.

He had on his usual Dharma jumpsuit, but the top half hung loose from his waist. His white undershirt was stained with mud and grass and grease. His arms were shaking and in the dim light of the dense jungle there were scars that seemed to be just healing over. One traveled the length of his forearm, but he had not cut so deep as to leave a permanent, visible scar.

Through the trees he could just barely see the sky, perfect and blue. He took in this view and pushed himself to his knees. He looked down at the handgun, felt the weight of it and how cold it was against his warm, sweaty skin. This was a bad idea and he knew it. Who would push the button? Vaguely he wondered if they would even send anyone if the countdown was allowed to zero. Or if there would even be anyone to send.

In truth, Desmond had almost let it happen once. It was a month after Kelvin had died and he could no longer take it, getting up every 108 minutes to press a button. He would always linger near sleep, but the warning would sound before he actually achieved a solid, restful state. He had finally had enough. While the alarm blasted around him, he just sat in the chair in front of the computer and watched the countdown whittle down to zero. But he had entered the code and pressed execute before it had even reached twenty seconds remaining.

Deep inside, Desmond had always been a coward. Yes, he had traveled the world alone, but all it took was the persuasion of Kelvin to keep him pushing that button, never trying to get off the island. Now he knelt, gun in hand, wondering if he would be a coward now. If he shot himself he was a coward, but, somehow, if he did not, he would still be a coward.

_Jus' a li'l bit of pain, bruthah, and it's all over with._

Carefully, he took off the safety and thumbed back the hammer. Again, he just stared down at it. What if the world ended? It would be all his fault, just because he couldn't handle the loneliness. But even as he weighed the options in his mind he could not push aside the burning of his tired eyes, the fog that had long ago taken over his mind, and the terrible ache in his heart that he had not been able to shake since Kelvin had died. Without another thought he brought the gun to his head and shut his eyes tightly.

"Stop!"

A voice. His eyes flew open at once. There, standing just a few feet in front of him was girl, a young women really. Her hair was a long, straggly brown. From his distance from her, Desmond could see dark, passionate eyes. Her cloths seemed to either be too small or too big. She wore a dark shirt that may have once been tan, but was so covered with dirt and grime (and Desmond could have sworn he saw blood) that it was impossible to tell. She floated in the pants she wore, grey ones with the very bottom cut off just above the ankle. She had no shoes or socks on and her feet were caked with undetermined amounts of mud.

"Who- Who're you?" he stuttered, sitting up straighter then before. She moved closer to him, but only slightly. There was a deep silence hanging between them, which she used to, again, move closer to him. Soon, she was kneeling in front of him. Their kneecaps touched, the slight pressure of it and warmth sent goosebumps running down Desmond's arms. She looked into his eyes and opened her mouth to speak.

---------

Jack bent over the unconscious form of Sawyer, who had contracted a semi-serious infection in his bullet wound. Out of the corner of his eye was a flurry of movement. Bernard and Rose were still holding one another near the fire, where they had been since the tail section survivors had returned. Kate was hurriedly retrieving water, medicine, and whatever else Jack had asked her for. Ana-Lucia stood still like a statue next to him. What a mind-blow that had been, finding out that she was alive.

"Help me!" Came a shout from the cave entrance before Jack could dwell too long on the sudden appearance of Ana-Lucia and the other survivors. Jack turned, there was something familiar in the shout.

There stood Desmond, caked in mud and carrying something in his arms. It took a moment to realize that it was a person through all the blood and dirt that covered them both. It was a girl, young, probably early 20s. Jack watched as Locke came forward to help Desmond.

"Desmond, what happened?" asked Locke, putting his arms around Desmond in an attempt to keep the man upright.

"Boxman, I need the doctor, yeah?" he answered, out of breath. Locke lead him to Jack, who met them halfway.

"Bring her over here," ordered Jack, not even bothering with a hello. "Kate, I need you to clean her off for me, I can't see anything through this."

Kate hurried from what she had previously been doing to grab one of the nearby towels. Desmond laid the girl down carefully and it was only when Jack saw him supporting her neck that he remembered that Desmond had once told him that he had almost been a doctor.

Jack grabbed the small flashlight, pried open her eyes, and shined the dim light into them. The pupils dilated and there was a quiver in her brown irises. He leaned his head down and let it rest on her chest, a faint heartbeat met his ears. Kate joined him with the now wet towel and began wiping away the mess that covered the girl's face.

"Is she allergic to anything?" Jack asked Desmond, while grabbing a vial full of clear liquid.

"No, I don't think so," Desmond answered. He was holding tightly to the unconscious girl's hand. Jack filled syringe nearly half way with the liquid injected it into the girl's arm.

"How old is she?" Jack continued, ignoring the 'I don't think so' part of the answer.

"Twenty-three," replied Desmond.

"What's her blood type?" asked Jack. But Desmond did not answer him. "Desmond, what's her-"

Jack stopped mid-sentence upon looking at Desmond's face. He was frowning deeply and Jack could clearly see tears beginning to form in his eyes. There was a haunted look about him, an emptiness in his eyes that Jack had never in his entire life as a doctor seen.

"No," was all Desmond could manage. Jack looked down at the hand that was encased by Desmond's. It was limp and pale. Again, Jack put his ear against the unmoving chest, but this time was greeted with no sound at all.

"Dammit, she's not breathing," he said to no one in particular. He began chest compressions. "Kate, I need you to stop the bleeding."

"I would if I could, Jack," Kate answered, taking off the last of the dirt from one of the patient's arms.

"What do you mean?" asked Jack.

"There are no cuts," she answered simply. Jack stopped at once and looked at Kate, who held the bloody towel in her hand.

"What? That's not-" but, not for the first time, Jack was unable to finish. The girl's eyes flew open and she coughed with a terrible harshness. For a moment, Jack was flustered, his hands still poised on the girl's chest where they had stopped.

The girl wheezed as she took in deep breaths to fill her lungs. Everyone who had been close to the scene now stood back, mouths agape, and Jack was just as confused as any one of them.

"Desmond?" The girl whispered, her eyes searching. He bent over her and ran his dirty hand down her face and let it rest at the base of her neck.

"You gave me a scare, Alex. Told you not to do things like that to me, sistah," Desmond answered with a smile. It was at this that Jack tensed and someone came out of the throng of the surrounding people. It was Sayid, the same look on his face as was on everyone else's.

"What did you say her name was?" Sayid asked. Desmond knitted his brow, but answered anyway.

"It's Alex. Alex Rousseau."

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Lonely No More

Chapter Two

Rating: PG-13

Warning: Some swearing, minor character death (don't worry, it's not Des!).

A/N: Sorry if I really messed up the French that I put in here. I basically got it off of an English to French dictionary so it could be wrong.

There was a terrible silence that had crept its way over the group. Only the tail section survivors seemed in the dark as to what was going on. The girl, Alex, was now looking around at her surroundings, holding on still to Desmond's hand. She did not look afraid so much as curious.

"That's not possible," said Sayid. Alex looked to him, as did Desmond, though the latter did not look pleased.

"How's that, bruthah?" asked Desmond, standing. He let Alex's hand slip from his and looked about ready for a fight. But before anyone could do anything, Alex stood quickly and placed herself directly in front of Desmond.

"Calm down, mon cœur," she said. She turned to face Sayid and the rest of the survivors and said with simplicity, "Explain."

"We've met your mother," came the answer, though not from Sayid, but from Locke. He stood just behind Sayid, as usual it seemed that the situation was the most normal one in the world. He had been watching the girl with a sort of fascination, like she was some sort of endangered species.

Alex stared at him wide eyed, she opened her mouth and then closed it again. A strange expression crossed her face, but soon vanished with the flicker of the nearby fire.

"She's alive?" Alex whispered. She was looking at both Locke and Sayid, but the question sounded as though she were asking it to herself. Finally, Jack had had enough.

"One thing at a time," he said and turned to Alex. "I still need to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," she replied to him. But Desmond had already started to lead her toward one of the plane seats nearby. Jack did not immediately follow them, but went to speak with Sayid and Locke. Alex looked over her shoulder to watch them.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about, sistah?" Desmond asked her, helping her to sit down. She looked up to him with a sly smile on her face.

"No," she answered. The look on his face was enough to convey his irritation with her unwillingness to confide in him. There was a sinking guilt in her stomach at this thought. "She's alive, Desmond."

"Yes, darling, I heard," he answered sitting down next to her. Alex could tell that, despite her attempts to open up to him, he was still upset.

"Desmond, you know I'm no good when it comes to her," she replied.

"And why's that?" asked a voice that most definitely did not belong to Desmond. Alex looked over to see Sayid, who had strolled quietly over from his conversation with Locke and Jack.

"How is that any of your business?" asked Alex. "Now, I know it's not everyday that a ranting Scotsman comes out of the jungle carrying a women who's bleeding all over the place, but that's no reason to be nosey."

Jack had come over and began to check over her with what supplies he had. He shined the dim flashlight in her eyes, and they reacted as was proper, he checked her reflexes, and was beginning on her pulse when Alex notice that Sayid was still standing there, watching her. It was a strange look, as though he were searching for something that could only be found after long contemplation.

"How do we know she's not one of them?" asked Ana-Lucia to Jack. She had been standing off to the side the whole time, watching the events unfold.

"The crazy French chick said they took her," added Charlie, who had been keeping Claire company while she helped Jack tend over the wounded Sawyer.

"The who what?" Alex asked, a puzzled look pasted on her face.

"Your mother," Sayid explained. "She said that the others had taken you from her when you were a baby." The only reply they first received was a snort of laughter.

"That women is a liar," Alex replied, putting emphasis on each word. "I ran away."

---------

Darkness, there was nothing around her but darkness. Nothing moved within it and there was no sound that reached her ears. Her brown eyes flew open, she was always afraid of the dark, especially in this place. The bunker was safer then most places on the island, but the shadows that the lamps cast always scared her.

"Daddy?" she asked, looking around. Nobody answered. "Momma?"

Slowly, she climbed out of the bed that she, her mother, and her father shared. They had all managed to fit in one bed since the other team members had left. Each had gone into the woods with her mother, but only her mother ever returned. Lately her dear father had been giving her mother a rather odd expressions.

"Mère?" she tried in her native French. Her mother was always more receptive when she did so. After all, mother had taught her everything herself. "Père?"

Again, there was no answer. The only option was the one she dreaded the most, leaving the shelter to search the jungle for her parents. A sinking feeling had come over her; nobody had gone out into the jungle with her mother recently and manage to come back. Mother had told her that they were "sick".

The little girl almost ran up the latter at the thought of her father never returning. She ran as fast as her short, stubby legs could go. Deep down she feared that she was already too late. Finally, she came to a clearing, in the middle of which were two people, a man and a woman. They were both pointing guns at each other and standing a few feet apart. The girl hid herself in the brush nearby.

"Don't make me do this, Danielle," said the man, tears in his eyes.

"Your sick," was the reply from the woman.

"No, I'm not!" he yelled back. "Neither were any of the others!"

"I'm sorry, Robert," she replied, leveling the gun at him.

"So am I," he said and pulled the trigger. The girl shut her eyes, but there was no sound. Upon opening she saw that the two figures, her parents, were still standing there, both very much alive.

"The firing pin. I took it out," Danielle said. She pulled back on the trigger and the sound made the girl jump, but she did not close her eyes in time. She watched the bullet enter directly into her father's temple, watched as he crumpled to the ground lifelessly. She let out a gasp and sat on the jungle floor on the verge of tears.

Finally, she got up, not really comprehending what exactly she was doing. She ran back to the shelter. As quickly as possible she gathered all of the belongings she could grab into a small backpack. Back up the latter she went, looking carefully out of the hidden entrance for any sight of her mother. Finding nothing, she popped the door open and ran in the opposite direction that she had gone to find her parents. She ran, tears streaming down her face.

-------

Jack watched Alex closely as she sat by the fire. He tried to contemplate if he and those he looked after could really trust her. If there was any truth to what Danielle had told them, then there was no way Jack could allow the woman to stay in the caves.

"You can trust her, bruthah," said Desmond, sitting down beside Jack on a log. Jack looked at the other man with a side long glance.

"Are you so sure of that?" Jack asked.

"She saved my life, twice. I trust her more then myself," came the reply. "She isn't her mother. She ran away from that when she was six years old. And she never looked back."

"Never?" Jack said, looking straight at Desmond.

"Well, maybe here and there," Desmond replied honestly. Both he and Jack now watched as Michael walked purposefully toward Alex.

Alex sat, staring into the fire that burned brightly in the pit. There was no one in the group that dared sit close to her, apparently rumor spread quickly. Anyone who had not been in the caves to hear the revelation that Rousseau's daughter was at their camp soon learned it from one of their fellow castaways. So Alex was more then surprised when there suddenly came a figure blocking the firelight from her.

She looked up to see a black man in a dirty orange shirt standing before her, there was a desperate look on his face. He crouched down before her and seemed at a loss for words for a moment.

"My name is Michael," the man said. "I need your help."

"Oh? How's that?" she asked, more then a little curious.

"You know this island, right? You lived here for sixteen years, you know it best?" he asked.

"I suppose so, yes," Alex answered. Now her full attention was captured. There was just something in this man's face. A desperation that she could not look away from.

"They took my son," Michael said. "They stole him right from me out there on the water."

"And you want me to help find him, is that it?"

"Yes," was the easy reply.

"No," came the answer, but not from Alex's lips. Both she and the man looked up to see Desmond standing beside them. "You're not going back out there. Not tonight, not in the morning, not anytime soon, yeah?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, standing up. Michael followed suit, more worried about finding his son then a fight.

"I just need her to show me-" started Michael.

"No," said Desmond firmly. He looked directly into Alex's eyes and he did not look away, despite the look of warning she gave him.

"Where the hell do you get off telling me what I can and can't do?" she asked, more anger evident in her voice. Desmond, however, did not back down.

"Where? How 'bout the part where I found you bleeding to death in the jungle? I think that's a good place to start, darling," he retorted.

"You heard them, I haven't got a scratch on me!" she yelled back. Now the nearby onlookers where beginning to take more of an interest in what was going on.

"Like I knew that!" Desmond was becoming more livid as the argument grew. Jack stood from the log that he and Desmond had been sitting on together not long ago. This had been a change from the Desmond that had spoken so fondly of the girl he now fought with.

"This has nothing to do with you, Desmond," said Alex, attempting to calm herself.

"Sorry to break it to ya, sistah, but it's got a bit to do with me," Desmond answered. "You're not going out there again!"

"Like hell I'm not!" She yelled and stormed off into the jungle. Desmond watched her go with fury in his eyes. For a moment he just stood, watching her tiny frame disappear into the darkness. Without a word he picked up his pack and ran after her.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Lonely No More

Chapter Three

Rating: PG-13 (kissin', kissin')

A/N: Thanks to everyone for their wonderful reviews, I really, really appreciate it.

"Alex?" Desmond called as he walked through the jungle, pack slung over his shoulder. He had been wondering for only a few minutes and she could not have been very far ahead of him. But it was too dark to really see and he had not brought any light source with him.

It was only by what pale moonlight through the heavy overgrowth that Desmond could see anything. He walked on a little further when he saw torches in the distance. Cautiously he made his way toward them. The torches were in a circle, surrounding the hatch, still blown off and resting in the grass nearby. It was then that he realized exactly where she had gone.

Sure enough, he saw her as soon as he made his way down the tunnel into the main living area of the bunker. Alex sat perched on the bar, legs swinging in the air like a child. There was still an angry look on her face.

"Does this mean I'm sleeping on the couch tonight?" he asked her, resting a hand on the nearby ping pong table. A smile was just visible through the curtain of her hair.

"Don't do that," she whispered.

"Why not?" Desmond asked. "I love it when you smile."

She looked at him then, a frown overtaking her face now, "I'm mad at you."

Desmond let in a deep breath, he knew he had been overprotective of her, but how could he not be, she was always getting into trouble. She had saved his life. If it had not been for her, he would have pulled that trigger and the world would have been doomed. For that, he owed her.

"You know you can never stay mad at me long," he said, moving closer to her. "What with my debonaire smile, soulful eyes, and sexy accent."

She let out a laugh, but promptly put her hand over her mouth. But he could still hear the laughter escaping from behind it. He stood next to her, resting his elbows on the bar and craning his neck to look over at her.

"I'm sorry," he said, a more serious tone to his voice. Alex let her hand fall into her lap, but a trace of a smile was still visible. "I just don't want anything to happen to you, sistah."

"I'll forgive you, but only if you promise never to do that again," she said as sternly as she could. Desmond nodded in agreement. "How did you know I'd come here, anyway?"

"You were mad at me, so I figured you'd go to the one place I never wanted to see again," he answered, looking less then fond as he took in his surroundings. It was then that a heavy set man came calmly walking out of the dome area.

"Dude," said Hurley, as he noticed the two. Desmond stopped leaning against the bar and stood more upright, unsure of their new guest.

"Who're you?" Desmond asked him.

"Uh, I'm Hurley," he paused for a moment, "You must be Hatch Dude."

Just then there came voices from the hall. The three looked slightly unsure of what to expect when Jack and Kate entered the room, the former with a bundle of cloths under his arm.

"My shift," said Kate to Hurley, who looked more then glad to leave. Kate smiled vaguely at Alex and Desmond before heading into the geodesic dome to check on the countdown.

"Thought you might like these," said Jack, holding out the bundle of cloths. Alex looked down at herself. She had been too distracted by her argument with Desmond and their sudden introduction to their new surroundings to notice how filthy she was.

"Not really my style," she said holding up a spaghetti strapped tank top.

"Well, unless you want to be a proud member of Dharma Industries, they'll have to do," replied Desmond. He had already unzipped his coveralls and in the process of peeling them off as he spoke.

"I'm gonna shower," Alex said. There had been the slightest of moments that Desmond could have sworn he had seen a flush in her cheeks.

"Just save some warm water for me, yeah?" he called as she walked off to the shower. She waved a hand to him to show that she had heard. Desmond turned his gaze to Jack once Alex was out of sight. "So, you've been pressing the button, bruthah?"

"Not so much him," said Kate from the computer. She stood and walked out to stand with them. She watched as Locke entered into the bunker, clearly having followed them. "But a few of us have been."

"Not much fun, is it?" Desmond asked with a smile. Kate smiled back as did Locke, who looked at Desmond with a gleam of what seemed to be hope in his eyes. "Sorry, about the guns and all that, by the way."

"Don't worry about it," Locke replied, the gleam still dancing around. "Suppose we gave you a scare."

"That you did, bruthah," Desmond answered, laughing. He sat himself down on a nearby chair, picked up his backpack and began taking the items out one by one.

"Should we take that to mean you're staying?" Jack asked.

"I suppose so, yes, as long as she stays," Desmond said, nodding toward the bathroom. He reached into the bag and came out with the grey bunny rabbit grasped in his hand. A genuine smile overtook his face then.

"Where'd you get that?" Jack asked.

-------------

Alex held a moldy, dirty stuffed bunny rabbit in her outstretched hand. She had come into the bunker wordlessly and so quietly Desmond had not even noticed her until he turned around to find her standing there. There was a terribly sad look on her face and his stomach turned over in knots.

"What's this for?" he asked, taking the rabbit.

"Something's happened. I have to go for awhile," she said quickly, looking down at the floor. She looked back up into his eyes. "I just didn't want you to be lonely."

"Where are you going? I'll come with you," Desmond said, stepping closer to her. He placed a hand on her elbow, needing the warmth of touch.

"You can't, you have to press the button," she said simply. He was already shaking his head before she could even finish. This time he drew his whole body against her. He had become so use to her being around these last few months, she couldn't leave him now.

"What's so important?" Desmond asked, searching her eyes. He put his other arm around her waist and brought her as close as possible without actually melding together. Not waiting for an answer, he whispered in her ear, "Don't go."

Pressed as closely as they were, Desmond could feel the shiver running through Alex's stomach. He brushed his hand down the side of her face, moving a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He let his hand linger on her jawbone.

"I-I can't stay. They're out there," she tried to explain breathlessly. But she didn't even attempt to pull away. Before he could stop himself or even think, he tilted his head down to her and let his lips tentatively brush against hers. It had been so long since he had been this close to anyone.

To have Alex this close to him, the warmth, hearing her voice, he couldn't take it if she left. Sure, she would go off into the jungle for a day or two, but would always come back to just talk with him. To have her leave for 'awhile' did not sound like it would be enjoyable. He all too well remembered what it had been like after Kelvin died and before Alex had saved his life.

"Stay with me," he said so low that even standing right there, Alex could barely hear him. She snaked an arm around his neck and let her fingers twirl in his hair near the base of his neck. He had not in there present stance thought it to be possible, but she managed to push herself even closer to him. A fog came over his mind as the curve of her body crushed up against him and it took him a few minutes to realize that she was wrapping him in a hug.

Desmond could almost feel the cold emptiness fill him as Alex pulled back out of the hug. She looked up at him with a smile and he already knew that she was going to leave unless he did something. It just so happened that that something was something he had wanted to do for a long time.

Without hesitation or any sense of fear, he pressed his lips full against hers. He heard a gasp of surprise just before he reached her, but, again, she did not pull away. He felt the heat rising in his face and all over his body. Vaguely he wondered if she had been near the beach today, her lips tasted salted. Soon, he began to inquire to himself whether this was her first kiss. It was this thought that made him tame his desire back.

His kiss became softer, sweeter. To his amazement, he could feel her tongue against his bottom lip, entreating entrance. Of course he obliged, opening his mouth to allow the kiss to deepen. Goose bumps rose on the back of his neck as he felt her tongue slide inside. Likewise, he pushed his own into her mouth, which tasted even heavier of salt.

Slowly, Desmond let the hand that had rested on her jaw slip downward until it rested on the white shirt he had let her borrow the week before, right over her left breast. This seemed to throw Alex back into reality, she pushed herself back and gave a few good feet between them. Her face was flush.

"I have to go," she said quietly. Before he could stop her she was already running down the corridor. He was about to follow her when the alarm picked that exact moment to start beeping.

------------

"Alex gave it to me," Desmond answered simply. He walked over to his top bunk and placed the rabbit on his pillow. Jack could not help but notice the large smile that had crossed Desmond's face.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Lonely No More

Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. Sorry this chapter took so much time to post, but it's pretty long. Enjoy!

The night outside was quiet and still, something that was hard press to find on the island. Desmond stood with his bare feet in the surf, looking out into an ocean he could not actually see. For a moment Alex stood watching him from the edge of the jungle, near one of the fires. He was wearing loose black trousers and a white t-shirt, a pair of sneakers dangled lazily from his right hand. Gone were the Dharma coveralls that she was so used to seeing him in.

"Can I join you?" she asked, walking up to him. Desmond craned his neck to look back at her and saw that she was already rolling the legs of her jeans up to her calf. The water felt cool against her inflamed skin while she looked out into the ocean. "I don't see anything."

"Don't you?" Desmond asked, looking down at her. He turned around even more, though keeping his feet firmly in place, to see some of the lights being put out and the beach members getting ready for bed. "The stars."

"What?" she asked. He came back to look at her face, a smile edging on his lips.

"That's what I'm looking at. The stars," he said. Before she could answer he turned fully toward her. "Stay with me tonight?"

At first she looked at him with hesitation, but the smile that lit his eyes was too much to resist. So she asked him, "Where? The hatch?"

"No!" he said, shaking his head vigorously. "Just here, on the beach. I brought a blanket to lay on and boxman said it was fine if we wanted to use some of his tarp." he walked over to his backpack, which was laying in the sand nearby. Again he asked, "Stay with me?"

Desmond held his hand out to her, the smile brightening his face. Alex took it without a second thought and they walked hand in hand toward the fire and the other island dwellers. Some openly watched the two of them and whispered about the "guy from the hatch" and his "mysterious jungle girlfriend".

Neither of them paid much attention to this, though it did make Alex a little more then uncomfortable. Desmond opened his backpack and pulled out a light blue blanket, carefully he draped it over the sand, trying his best not to get any on the top of it. He knelt in the middle of it and looked around at his handy work. His eyes shining he held out both hands this time, but there was no smile adorning his face. But it was his eyes she could not look away from. It seemed that there was a certain pulse in them, a life that had not been there before.

---

There was a rustle in the leaves nearby, Alex could hear it even in the haze of sleep. She was on her back next to Desmond, who was facing her on his side, his arm thrown casually around her waist. For a moment Alex froze, listening to the night, trying to hear the sound again. It came once again, louder and closer then before. She looked up to see a figure emerging from the woods. Alex flipped onto her side for a better view. She was about to wake Desmond when she realized that she recognized the person who had appeared.

"Mother?" Alex asked the figure, her voice shaky. She could not see the face of her mother, but she knew it was her. The women came closer.

"You have to come with me," she said. "He's sick."

Alex did not need to know to whom the figure referred to. She looked to Desmond again, who slept on peacefully. Looking up to her mother, she could now make out the rough features of her face from the dying firelight.

"No, mama, he's not sick," Alex said, and found that she was actually afraid just then. Danielle pulled her rifle from where it had been flung over her shoulder. She moved to stand over Desmond's sleeping form.

"He's sick," she said and pulled the trigger.

--

Alex bolted straight up on the blanket. On instinct, she looked beside her. Desmond lay on his back, sleeping peacefully. He was alive, the steady rise and fall of his chest told her that much. It was now daylight. To Alex, it had not felt like she had been sleeping for long, yet the sun had already risen over the water and hung low in the sky. She could even hear whispers of those already awake.

"Desmond?" she asked, shaking his arm lightly. Was it all a dream, or had her mother really come to her in the night. There were no footprints surrounding their blanket, but that meant nothing. If Danielle was anything like her daughter than she would have long ago figured out how to cover her tracks.

"Wasmader?" was the response she received from the half asleep form of Desmond. "Was wrng?"

"Did you hear anything?" Alex asked as Desmond rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes.

"You snore," he replied, propping himself on his elbows.

"Anything else?" she asked, trying her best to sound casual, but not too sure she was pulling it off.

"No, darling, I didn't," he said. "Why?"

"Nothing, just a dream," she said, waving him off. Still, he stared at her with fascination. Alex was never good at hiding anything, at least, not from Desmond. Feeling exposed by him staring at her, she reached across his torso and grabbed his bag.

"Hey, I didn't say I would share, sistah," he said, a deadpan look on his face. Desmond sat up and took the bag from her grasp. Reaching inside he pulled out an Apollo candy bar and handed it to her.

--

When he had woken up that morning everything was perfect. The women he loved was asleep next to him, and that was all he wanted. He watched her sleep for at least an hour, wearing nothing but the smile she always brought to his face.

"You're freaking me out, Desmond," she mumbled in her soft Mid-Western accent. Every time he heard it he thought back to when he met her in Indiana where she taught at a local high school. He had been walking for three days with little sleep and she had found him napping in a tent in the park.

"I skipped work today," he said.

"It's 'workout', Desmond, and I noticed," she smiled. He loved that smile. And her voice. Her hair, her eyes, the way she smelled. Everything. Of course, that was why there was a diamond being set in a ring downtown that he would pick up in the next hour.

Today was it, the day he would stop running and stay in one place for more than a couple months. Today was the day he would ask this woman to be his wife, to spend the rest of her life with him.

"Could you do me a favor, darling?" Desmond asked her. She nodded her head and he continued. "We've got lunch free, meet me here and we can eat together."

For a moment he thought she knew. There was a look in her eyes of suspicion of what exactly he might be planning.

"Okay, I suppose," she answered, apparently deciding to let the whole thing go as it should. It was her trust in him, he knew. If he wanted to get the ring and be back in time for lunch he would have to move quickly. So, he stumbled out of bed, hitting the edge of the table and knocking over the picture of the two of them at the docks, with a city behind them. It was his favorite picture, because it was the only one he had with her in it.

"Gotta run some errands, I'll see you at lunch, yeah?" He asked, slipping on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. If he had known, maybe he would have said more. Inside he knew something important was about to happen, he thought he knew what it was, but he had no idea.

--

Desmond watched Alex as she walked over to join Jack and Michael by the fire. He tried his best not to listen in on their conversation, but by the look on Alex's face, he knew he had no choice. She was planning something.

"We need every able bodied man and women here in half an hour," she said to Jack. He looked at her with interest.

"Really? And why is that?" Michael asked, poking at the ashes in the fire pit with a long stick.

"Because it's about time we look for your son," she answered, staring him directly in the eyes. For a few seconds, Michael just stared at her, wondering if she meant what she had just said. "Well? Are you going to get them here or should I?"

That was the only prompting that Michael needed, he was on his feet and gathering people in a heartbeat. Meanwhile, Desmond, having heard what she had said meandered over. Jack also seemed less then enthusiastic about this new turn of events.

"You know where Walt is?" Jack asked her, a look of doubt on his face.

"Not exactly where he is, but there used to be a camp near the borders of the Dark Territory," she answered him. Jack blinked, taken aback, but not by the idea of the "others" having a camp, but by the way Alex had said "Dark Territory". She had sounded, for those two words, exactly like her mother.

"You think he's there, sistah?" Desmond asked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "How do you know it's their camp?"

Alex turned to face him, a rather unusual look overcoming her usually calm face. A thought passed before her eyes and what it was neither Desmond nor Jack could tell. She opened her mouth to speak, but caught sight of Locke and Michael coming from the direction of the hatch, weapons in hand. A group made up of Libby, Ana-Lucia, Charlie, Eko, Kate, and Sayid followed closely behind them as well as other stragglers who just wanted to know what the fuss was about.

"Wow, he's good," Alex said, skirting Desmond's questions.

The group gathered quickly near the burned out fire pit. Michael was already spreading out the guns from the hatch and Locke's knives on the ground. As Alex spoke he counted them, listening carefully to her plan.

"There is a camp about four hours hike from here, near the Dark Territory. Don't worry it's not actually in the Dark Territory itself," she added seeing the looks of horror on some of they bystanders faces. "If we start now we can get there by late afternoon and working quickly enough, we can be back just after nightfall."

"And you know Walt is there?" Michael said as he finished counting the knives and guns.

"I don't know, but sometimes they use the same camp sites. I'm not saying he'll be there, but it's a start," Alex answered honestly.

"Look, you know this island better than anyone, so why don't we start where you'll know he'll be?" Michael asked, an edge in his voice.

"Because I don't know where he'll be. It's a big island and they can move surprisingly fast when they need to. This is the best I can give you right now, Michael. If we all come through this we could try looking in the Dark Territory."

"Let's look there if that's where he'll be," Michael replied, this time in desperation. Alex placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you miss your son, but we aren't ready for that yet," she paused and turned her attention back on the whole group. "Now, we split into pairs. Under no circumstances are you to break from your partner, for any reason. Each person must be armed, including several people who will stay here as guards."

"I'll volunteer," Sayid said. "Guarding the caves can be my job."

"Actually," Alex said with a small smile, "I want as many people as possible in the hatch, not the caves. It's safer down there. Should be food enough for a couple of weeks still and it locks from the inside. I don't think they'll attack while we're gone, but safety first."

Michael handed Sayid a couple of the guns that had previously resided in the Halliburton. As Sayid left their group to rangle the rest of the surivors to the hatch, Michael and Locke began to pass around the weapons. Jack took his somewhat reluctantly.

"How exactly do you know about this place, Alex?" Jack asked, tucking the gun into the back of his pants. For a moment Alex just stared at him, the wheels in her head turning, aparently trying to decide whether or not to tell him.

"Stumbled on it," she said finally. Without allowing further questions, Alex hitched a backpack over her shoulders and headed into the jungle, Desmond following beside her. The others paired off and followed behind them.

--

Alex, as was her usual, wondered the right jungle in search of new food. After 13 years of eating nothing but fruit from the trees and boar, she longed for something, anything, that was different. It was during this usual trip, which most of the time was in vain, that she came across a man standing under the trees, staring off toward the beach and the ocean.

Never before had she seen anyone, especially this close to the beach. She had heard voices whispering in the jungle, far off. Vaguely she recalled her mother saying that they were "the cause of the sickness". Alex, unsure of this new acquaintance approached carefully. Never had she actually seen anyone who belonged to the voices.

"Wonderful day, isn't it?" he said softly, back still to her. He wore a dirty blue shirt and brown pants. His hair was a light brown color, but when the light escaping through the canopy of the trees hit it, it began to have a red/blond tint.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking around for anything she could use to defend herself. He turned around and she saw blue eyes shining out of a handsome, slightly sunburned face.

"My name is Goodwin."

--

The journey to the camp was uneventful to say the least, which all were glad for, but they were still on edge. Alex led them with Desmond beside her, Jack and Eko walking together behind them, followed closely by Michael and Libby, Ana-Lucia and Charlie, and, bringing up the rear was Locke and Kate. Michael in particular was agitated that they had not yet reached the camp.

"Where is-" Michael began, but a quick hush from Alex quieted him quickly. She was turned with her back from him and peering through a thick bush. They group quickly stopped their movements and crouched low to the ground so as not to be seen. However, only moments past before Alex was on her feet once again, yelling in French.

"What's the matter?" Desmond asked from his position low on the ground. But Alex did not answer him, instead bringing their group closer to the brush, where they could now see a large circle, that seemed to be scorched into the earth itself. There was nothing there but the ground and dried twigs and leaves that lay lifeless on the ground.

"Tell me this isn't it," Michael said, stepping out from being the bush and onto the dry ground beyond it.

"This is it," Alex said reluctantly.

"Dammit!" Michael screamed and threw one of the dried sticks into the jungle.

"I told you that it was only a possibility, a chance," Alex said as Michael stomped around, looking in every direction.

"Michael, we'll find him," Libby said as Michael sat on the ground, on the verge of tears. Kate and Locke were near the edge opposite of where they had entered the camp, looking for any sign that someone, or something, had been there.

"I don't see anything. John?" Kate said, after a quick search of the brush nearby.

"Nothing," he answered her. There was silence for a moment until suddenly there came a loud noise from the distance. A terrible screech, one that had become all too familiar to the survivors, sounded from the jungle and reverberated all around them. The monster.

"Go, now," was all Alex had to say. The group dispatched immediately, Desmond by Alex's side, leading her back to the trail they had made coming to the camp. Locke was at the head of the group, along with Kate, both of whom were more than capable of leading them back. But it was too late, the noises grew louder and came closer to their small group.

Desmond entwined his hand with Alex's as they stumbled past the roots sticking up from the ground and the rough patches of dirt. Desmond could hear the ragged breathing coming from Alex and felt her squeezing his hand fiercely. The monster, he knew was getting closer.

--

There was a smile on Desmond's face that he could just not seem to stop from getting bigger as he climbed out of his car. The ring was in his pocket, safely in a box, waiting to be taken out, to be on her finger. But when he reached the door, the smile finally faded. The door stood ajar, taking a look around Desmond could see no sign of her outside, and no need for the door to be open.

He pushed the door open, keys still in hand. Everything in the house was thrown about, vases smashed and drawers open. He made his way through the house in a haze, wondering where she was. Certainly she had gone when she heard somebody break into the house. But this hope vanished when he saw the bedroom door, its hinges busted from what appeared to be someone breaking down the door. She had been here and locked herself in the bedroom. She must have gotten out one of the windows, Desmond rationalized.

With a long, slow breath, he opened the door to their bedroom. The first thing he could see was red everywhere. It lay on the bedsheet that he had slept under for the past year. And next to his usual place on the bed he saw a large bump underneath the heavy sheet, and dried blood covering this. He already knew what was under it without actually looking. Yet something moved his hand for him, his thumb and forefinger pinching the fabric of the sheet. He pulled it up the sheet with ease, his stomach began to bind inside of him.

She lay on her side, blood pooled around her, a deep gunshot wound in her stomach and it was with a sick feeling that he noticed blood on the inside of her thighs. That was all he could bare to see, he let the sheet slip through his fingers to land on her body again. He sank down beside his bed, crying horsely.

--

Desmond pushed Alex ahead of him, letting go of the grip he had on her hand. Reluctantly she let go, almost able to feel the monster breathing down her back. He had to save her, he could not let it happen again, not to Alex. He dared a look behind him, but with the smoke stinging his eyes he could not make out with certainty what it was, only that it was getting closer to them.

Alex ran faster then she had in all her life. There had been times when she had come near to the "monster" or whatever it was, but never before had it chased her. Now there were people's lives on the line. Vaguely she could see the rest of the group in front of her. Slowly the dim light in the dense jungle grew brighter and the noise became fainter.

Finally, the group stopped nearby the caves, Alex double over and everyone was breathing hard. Kate was passing out water bottles she had stored in her pack. Alex took a dredge from one and turned to give it to Desmond, only to find that he wasn't there.

"Desmond?" Alex asked faintly, looking around her. She stood in a flash, making her head spin. Jack steadied her, but she was becoming frantic. "Where is he?"

Jack held her tightly as she tried to squirm out of his grasp to run back out into the jungle.

"Let me go! It'll kill him!" She fought against Jack, though too weak from running to really be effective at it. "Desmond! Mon cœur, it took him! Let me go!"

Tears began to stream down her face as she fought with the last amounts of energy she had, knowing she would pass out at any moment. So, she gave one last hear-wrenching scream, "Desmond!"

TBC….


	5. Chapter 5

Lonely No More

Chapter Five

The waves of the ocean rushed up against Alex's legs as she stood in the surf, staring into the ocean as she had done before with Desmond. She watched as the sunrise sparkled on the vast water. Jack contemplated her for a moment before deciding he should speak with her.

He came up beside her and waded into the ocean, still wearing his shoes. For a moment they just stood in absolute silence, Jack casting her wondering looks every now and again. Alex just stood staring out to the crashing waves, seemingly not noticing Jack's presence.

"Have you been here all night?" Jack finally asked her. She did not look at him, only nodded.

"Just incase he comes back," was her reply. Her voice was hoarse from screaming for Desmond and then not speaking since Jack had carried her back to their camp. He had decided to ask her about something he had been wondering for some time, and a change in topic seemed to be a good idea.

"Did you know," he asked her. "when we crashed?"

"From the time it fell out of the sky. I was at the beach, just after a swim and heard it. Knew I should do something, but first I went down to see Des…" she stopped suddenly and looked down to her feet, unable to finish saying his name.

"Why didn't you help us?" Jack asked, though his voice was void of any actual anger. This time she did turn to look at him and now he could see the redness of her eyes and the dark circles just beginning to form around them. Her face was ghostly white and patched with dirt and tear stains.

"I did," Alex replied simply.

"How's that?" Jack asked after a short pause. A small, barely recognizable smile formed on her thin lips.

"You're alive, aren't you?" She answered with an air of mystery. There was a long pause where they just stood for a moment, water running up their legs. Again, her dark eyes cast out to the ocean.

"He went to you," Jack said, staring out to the ocean himself. This comment caught her off guard.

"What?" her voice came out as a squeak this time.

"When the computer broke and he thought we were doomed, he went to find you," Jack explained. He let a long pause fill between them before carrying on, "You're the last person he wanted to be with at the end of the world."

Alex made no vocal response to this, but Jack could see a tear roll down her cheek and clinging hopelessly to her chin before dropping somewhere on her shirt. He felt a terrible pain in his heart while he watched her.

"He was protecting you from it. Because he cared," Jack paused again, but only to draw in a hesitant breath, "Because he lov-"

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Alex interrupted with sudden sharpness. "Because it isn't."

Jack only stood looking at her as she stood looking back at him. Neither blinked and the only movement was Alex crossing her arms defensively over her chest. In the silence that covered them Jack could only wonder about the young women who stood before him.

"You're going to go after him, aren't you?" Jack asked her, nodding at the hand gun tucked into the waistband of her jeans.

"Of course, as soon as there's more light," she took in a deep breath. For a moment she cast a sorrowful look toward the jungle.

"You shouldn't go alone, it's dangerous," Jack said. To his surprise, she laughed.

"I've lived in that jungle for sixteen years. I've seen things that you could never imagine," she said. "Besides, I owe Desmond one."

--

The man, Goodwin, just stood there. He was smiling at her and vaguely she heard the crashing of the waves behind him. His eyes sparkled and he put his hands in his pockets, like it was the most natural thing in the world to find a complete stranger in the middle of a jungle.

"It would be nice," he said, still smiling, "to know your name."

"Alexandra," she said before her brain even registered that she was speaking. The man moved closer and finally Alex's brain jolted back to reality. She kept a ready stance as he came to stand a few feet from her.

"Please, Alexandra, I don't mean you any harm," Goodwin assured her. He squinted his eyes from a slit of sunlight that came through the canopy of trees above them. Slowly, he brought a hand out of one of his pockets and held it out to her.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked. He smiled and let his hand fall back into his pocket when it became obvious she would not shake it.

"I told you that, didn't I?" he spoke softly. There was a faint rustling from the brushes but Alex had no intent of taking her eyes off the stranger. Goodwin glanced quickly and turned away, walking toward the beach.

She took the opportunity to turn and look behind her. A man stood there, wearing a freshly launder jumpsuit with a strange emblem on the breast. He looked somewhat frazzled and did not seem in the least bit fazed to see her. Instead he checked his watch.

"He's here, Kelvin," Goodwin said from the trees lining the beach not far away.

"About time, gotta press the button soon," Kelvin replied. He rushed past Alex without so much as a glance and past Goodwin onto the beach. She followed him and was about to step onto the sand when Goodwin caught her on the arm. His hand was firm around her bicep.

"Not yet," was all he said to her before looking back out to the water. Alex gazed at him with complete annoyance, but his hold on her got slightly tighter as she tried again to the beach.

She stopped, not because of the oppressing hold of Goodwin but because she saw Kelvin standing a few feet from them, using a hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun. For a moment Alex wondered what exactly what he was looking for. But she saw it. There was a person, in the water, swimming toward shore while clinging to a large piece of wood that looked like a plank from a ship.

Alex stared as the man got to his feet and stumbled as the waves came rushing up to meet the back of his legs. Kelvin apparently took this as an invitation to help him. He rushed forward yelling something that sounded like, "Hurry, hurry, come with me!"

He grabbed the man under one arm and pulled him away from the crashing waves. The man coughed and sputtered for a moment, his long, wet hair obscured his face. Alex attempted to shout out before she felt two arms force themselves around her.

Goodwin pressed himself close behind her, an arm forced around her waist and a hand clamped against her mouth. She took in a sharp breath as she watched Kelvin talk to the man in a hurried fashion, but could not hear them over the waves. He was leading the man to another opening in the trees. The man's back was to her and she tried to fight against Goodwin, tried to get the man's attention, but he walked further and further away.

--

Alex was shaking almost uncontrollably as she stepped back into the hatch. As she walked in, she could just perceive two soft voices talking inside. When she came around a small bend she could see Locke and Kate eating cereal at the table. Kate was the first to see her and the sympathy of her face was more then enough to stop Locke in the middle of a sentence.

"Hey," he said, turning to look at Alex. She paused, not entirely sure what to do.

"I need another gun," she said quickly. Locke only stared at her and raised an eyebrow before turning to look at Kate. She stood and slowly made her way closer to Alex.

"Let us go out there with you. We can help you find him," she said, placing a reassuring arm on the other woman's shoulder.

"It's too dangerous," she said, walking past Kate toward the gun closet. She turned to look at Locke, "The combination."

"I don't think-" he started.

"Listen," Alex spat out, finally losing her calm, "I'm going out there whether I have the extra gun or not. He'd do it for me."

Locke let in a deep breath, apparently resolved to not give Alex the extra gun. Kate seemed more sympathetic, letting Locke's first name roll out in a soft voice as if it would convince him. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I have to find him," Alex whispered, more to herself than those around her. "It's our destiny."

--

Goodwin stood close next to Alex in the jungle, watching the man she had seen come out of the ocean more than a year ago. He stood out near the entrance to the hatch, drawing something in a small notebook. Again, his long, dark hair covered his features from her.

All she could do was stare at him. He was wearing a tan jumpsuit zipped up to just below his bare collar bone. With a flip of his hand, he drew his hair out of his face and she saw a flash of brown eyes and a stubble strewn jaw. In her chest she felt her heart both skip a beat and pump faster.

"It's your destiny, Alex," Goodwin whispered in her ear. He ran his hands down her bare arms, sending shivers down her back. He turned her around, taking his hands away and used them to cup her face.

"First, there's something you need to know." He pause for a moment, "I'm not who you think I am."

--

The jungle was dark and enclosing. Alex stood there, looking, not particularly sure of what to do. She stood at the camp where they had gone the day before. All that met her there was silence, total and complete.

She held a shot gun in her hands, the 9mm in a holster on her hip. There was no sign that Desmond or anybody else had been there for a long time. From behind her she heard the unmistakable sound of leaves rustling.

Alex turned on her heal, aiming the gun toward the sound. Locke stood there, hands raised in the air. For a moment, Alex considered pulling the trigger anyway.

"You know," Locke said, "I met Desmond in a situation very similar to this one."

Alex lowered her gun, an agitated look on her face. She said, "I said I wanted to go alone."

"I thought you might need some help," He answered. "Besides, it's getting late."

"I'm not leaving without him," she said immediately.

"Obviously he isn't here," Locke said. There was something new in his voice, urgency. "Come on."

Her grip tightened on the gun ever so slightly. Locke had never really given her any kind of pensive feeling before and Desmond had seemed to trust him. But there was a wild look on his face. Like the one that she had seen years ago.

--

"Run."

Alex sat up straight from the nightmare. But it wasn't. The voice had come right out from her dream and into reality. As Alex's eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see a figure in front of her. Not Goodwin. Perhaps one of the others he had told her about.

"You have to run."

Sleep still fogged her brain and she was not at all sure she was awake. But there is someone pulling at her arms now and she knows she isn't dreaming. The defenses she had to build up after spending years alone in the jungle suddenly spring into action. She tries to pull away, but the grasp is too sharp, almost biting into her arm.

"Get up. Quickly"

Alex knew that voice. She had heard it before. Oh God.

"Mother?" Alex whispers. The figure leans closer to Alex, the moonlight finally catching it. It was Danielle. "NO!"

Alex screamed and pulled away, getting quickly to her feet, stumbling.

"Help! Good-" a hand clasps firmly over her mouth.

"Don't call for him. He'll kill you. You have to leave. Now."

Alex began to struggle again until her mother's free arm came around Alex's waist. And for the first time in years Alex looked into her mother's eyes. For the first time in years Alex remembered that she had her father's eyes. There was a crazed look in the eyes that stared back at her.

"Please, Alex."

Danielle's hand relaxed and fell from her daughter's mouth. It wrapped around Alex and pulled her close into a hug. Daniel pressed her lips close to Alex's ear and whispered:

"Run."

--

Locke was standing there, arms now relaxed at his side, gazing around. Yet, he still had that urgency on his face. He walked closer to her and she did not back away. She stood her ground.

"You should come back to the hatch," Locke said, a small smile on his face.

"Why?" She asked, searching his face for some kind of hint. Anything.

"He came back," Locke said. "Jack says that-"

But Alex did not wait for the rest of what he had to say. She was already running back toward camp, as fast as her legs could carry her. Though she was angry at Locke for not telling her sooner, she kept it in for the moment, only wanting to see Desmond again.

--

The only noise in the jungle was the thumping of her bare feet on the ground as she ran from the camp where she and Goodwin had been staying. At first she only thought of running to the beach, and then where she had no idea.

Alex stopped. Light was growing through the jungle, morning was coming. And suddenly she knew where to go, what to do. She turned from the beach and began at a brisk pace toward the hatch Goodwin had shown her.

--

"Desmond!" Alex called as she got closer to the hatch. There was no sound and no one nearby. For a moment she wondered if she had heard Locke correctly when he suggested going to the hatch. As her footfalls pounded against the terrain of the jungle, she remembered doing this exact same thing before. Running from the same camp, going to the same place, looking for the same person.

--

He was there, the man, in the jungle, kneeling. There was a flash of something metal in his hand. As he brought it up to his head, Alex could finally see what it was: a gun. Without thinking she came forward.

"Stop!"

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. His eyes were brilliant. And for a lifetime she could not look away from them. But he could, he searched her up and down, taking in her ratty appearance.

"Who- Who're you?"

Again, he looked into her eyes. She kept the gaze as she walked to him and knelt in front of him. Her brain sparked as their knees touched.

"Alex Rousseau," she replied with a smile. For Desmond, it lit up her whole face. He could feel a hand over his and looked down to see her dragging the gun out of his loose grasp. All thoughts of what he was about to do had vanished. He looked back up to her and saw that she was still smiling even as she took the gun away.

"Desmond. My name's Desmond."

--

For Alex, the hatch door could not open fast enough. She was running down the hall, feet falling over one another. She emerged in the hatch, looking around, but only seeing blurs. One moved toward her.

"Alex?" It was Kate.

"Where is he?" Alex asked without hesitation. The blur that was Kate pointed to the bunks. Alex called, "Desmond?"

There was hesitation in her voice, fear in her heart.

"Alex!" she heard Desmond's voice reply. A rush of relief washed over her and she heard a rustling noise from the area of the bunks and Jack's voice putting up argument. Alex held her voice and walked into the kitchen, where, at the opposite end, was Desmond.

His formerly clean cloths were no decked in dried mud and his hair was filled with leaves, grass, and caked in mud. But he was alive.

"Are you-?" she asked.

"Yeah, you?" he answered.

"Yeah," she replied. They stood there looking at one another, Kate and Jack feeling like outsiders. "You scared me."

"Sorry about that, sistah," Desmond answered. Finally, Desmond came forward, his feet carrying him quickly. He wrapped his arms around Alex tightly. She clung to him tightly, not drawing in a single breath.

Finally, she pushed up close to him and brought her mouth to his ear. For a moment all he felt was the tickle of her breath against the side of his neck.

"I love you," Alex whispered. A smile came to Desmond's face.

"All it took was dying," Desmond laughed. He pulled back from the hug and cupped Alex's face in his hands. Looking into her eyes, he let out a low sigh. "I love you."

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips, where a smile had just formed.

A/N: Again, thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry this took so long. Hopefully the next (and I'm thinking last) chapter will come out sooner now that my classes are done for the summer.


	6. Chapter 6

Lonely No More

Chapter 6

Desmond was sure he had opened his eyes. Yet all he could see was blackness. It took him a moment to realize that it was black smoke, with flashes of what appeared to be lightening. Within those flashes he saw visions. His parents, his sister, the body of his dead girlfriend. Alex.

He was dead, he had to be. His life was flashing before his eyes. But then the blackness moved, swarming away from him. There was nothing but the night before him. No bright light or angels or puffy clouds taking him to the pearly gates. There was only the sound of crickets.

In his chest, his heart thudded wildly against his ribs. So hard that he thought the bones would break. But he was breathing. And all he could do was lay on his back, staring at the canopy of trees above him.

"Alex?" Desmond whispered into the night air. He pushed himself up and propped himself on his elbows. "Alex?"

There was no answer, but he felt eyes on him. He stood and looked around him frantically, expecting someone to jump out at him at any minute. He was unarmed, but not defenseless. Or so he thought, until he felt the barrel of a rifle against the back of his skull.

--

Alex helped Desmond sit back down on the bunk bed. Jack squatted in front of Desmond and began his checkup. There seemed to be only minor cuts and scrapes along with a fairly nasty bruise on his chin.

"What the hell happened out there?" Jack asked him, shining a small light into Desmond's eyes.

"Most of this is my fault. I'm clumsy," Desmond laughed, though it was obviously forced. Alex sat next to Desmond, an arm around his back.

"You're lying," she said, trying to look at his face through his curtain of hair. Jack saw the flash of panic in Desmond's eyes, but Alex did not.

"Leave it be," Desmond whispered. Jack lifted Desmond's face, both to clean the blood from a cut and to allow Alex to see him properly.

"Leave what be?" Alex pressed. Desmond gritted his teeth in frustration. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and then back to Jack. "Could you give us a moment, brutha?"

"Sure," Jack replied quietly. He got up and moved to the kitchen sink to wash off the bloody washcloth. Desmond was silent for a moment, staring at the floor, flexing his fingers.

"I thought I was too late," he said suddenly. "I ran from this place. I wanted to be with you for however long we had," he looked up to her then, "but you weren't there."

"You know me, I can't sit still for long," Alex smiled and held Desmond's hand in hers.

"When I found you, I was sure you were dead," he looked away from her yet again, but squeezed her hand reassuringly. "But it wasn't your blood was it?"

It was her turn to stare at the floor and his turn to look at her. Desmond pushed a strain of hair behind her ear.

"It was one of them, wasn't it?" Desmond asked. Alex looked to him. "You killed one of them."

--

Alex was sure that she should not be this far from the beach. Ever since she had seen the plane fall from the sky she felt responsible for the survivors. She wanted to keep them safe. But since the incident with Ethan, Alex no longer felt as if she had to watch them all of the time.

So, she had gone for the hatch, determined to see Desmond for the first time in weeks. But there were already people there, climbing down into the hatch.

"Oh, no," she whispered. Alex went to move forward but was stopped by a hand suddenly grasping her arm and turning her around. It was one of them, a man, and a few years older than her. Goodwin had told her his name once, but she had already forgotten.

"What the hell did you do to him?" the man yelled, pulling her roughly by the arm. She stared directly into his eyes, which were intensely green. "You killed Goodwin."

"What?" she asked, finally she stopped her attempts to fight against him. "He's dead?"

"You killed him," he replied, baring his teeth. For this, he did not wait for a reply. Before Alex could even wrap her head around Goodwin being dead, a hand flew across her face. The force of it was so great that she was knocked down onto the ground.

The man jumped on her, hands around her neck. Alex put all of her upper body strength to try and push him away and used her legs to kick him. She could feel the oxygen fumbling away from her brain, her airways began to close, and her sight blurred.

She reached out for something, anything. She found nothing within her grasp, but soon saw a shadow over come her and the man. A knife lodged its way deep into his back and was pulled back out, clattering to the ground. The man rolled off of her, screaming. Blood was tricking through the back of his shirt.

Alex saw the shadow of a person running off into the jungle. It was a woman, that much she could tell by the long hair. And there was only one woman on the island she knew would do such a thing for her: her mother.

But when Alex attempted to run after the retreating form, the man threw his bleeding body at her. The pools of blood were now seeping from the cuffs of his shirt and his formerly white shirt was stained red on the back. Alex had already managed to have more than her own share from him tackling her, but now there was blood dripping from his mouth onto her face and bruised neck.

"I told him not to trust either of you," the man spitted out. He was considerably clumsier from blood loss, but did not lose any of his former strength. Alex used the clumsiness to her advantage and when he moved to pin her arms she sent a quick thrust with her elbow into his face, breaking his nose.

As he reeled back, covering his bleeding nose with already bloody hands, Alex jumped over and picked up the discarded knife. The man took his hands away from his face and now he no longer looked like a man, but a monster. But she did not wait for him to make a move. Instead she jumped for him, sinking the knife deep into his belly.

The man gasped, but still tried to overpower Alex. He moved forward in sloppy steps. But Alex pushed with all the strength she could muster and he fell backward, knife still impeded in his stomach. For a moment he writhed on the ground. He stilled eventually, eyes open and staring up into the dark canopy above them.

Alex's head began to spin; the amount of blood was overwhelming. She was about to pass out when she felt two strong hands grasp her shoulders. Her eyes refused to focus and it was very dark. All she could do was hope as to who it was.

"Desmond?" she asked in a faint voice, but the figure did not answer.

Alex woke up to find a dim light growing in the sky above her. The treetops were different, further apart. She had been moved. There was dried blood on her skin and dirt everywhere else.

"Don't move," a voice said. It definitely wasn't Desmond, this was a women. Alex moved her eyes to look at her mother once again. Alex still had no strength and could not even manage to call out for help.

"I won't hurt you," Danielle whispered to her daughter. There was a noise from the jungle, a man calling out. "He'll take care of you. He loves you."

Tears began to spring to Alex's eyes as these words sunk in and she knew who Danielle was talking about: Desmond. The voice called out from the jungle again and this time Alex could recognize that it was saying her name. Desmond was coming for her.

"I want you to know," her mother whispered in a rush, "That I love you and everything I have ever done was to protect you."

Then she was gone. Alex turned over on her stomach, calling out to her mother and trying to crawl after her. But Danielle still ran into the dense jungle, not looking back at her daughter. Not long after she watched the figure disappear, a new one showed itself from almost exactly where Danielle had gone.

"Alex!" the figure called and began running to her. Desmond. He was wearing his usual Dharma coveralls, but they were incredibly dirty and he looked as though he had been running for hours. Before she could say anything, Desmond scooped her up in his arms and carried her off along the beach.

--

"Your mother?" Desmond asked, suddenly standing up. "She gets around, doesn't she?"

"What?" Alex asked in confusion. He turned to look at her.

"She led me back here," Desmond answered. This time it was Alex's turn to stand up, shocked by the discovery.

"What?" she asked again.

"After we got separated. She found me, put a damn rifle to my head," he began to explain.

"Sounds like her," Alex scoffed.

"She asked about you. Wanted to know if you were okay after the attack, that's how I knew where the blood came from. She seemed really worried," at this Alex looked at him with something in her eyes he had only seen a handful of times: hope.

He continued, "She told me that if I ever hurt you, she wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in me."

There was a flash of a smile on Alex's lips before it melted away into her usual stoic look. But Desmond could still feel the hope radiating off of her, even from where he was standing.

"I told her she had nothing to worry about," Desmond finished. He moved closer to her, moving a hand to rest high on her hip. Alex smiled, a true smile, one that he dreamed of when he was alone in the hatch.

Alex curled her palm around the back of his neck, just below his hair line. They put their foreheads together, though Alex had to stand slightly on the tips of her toes to do so. He put a reassuring arm around her back to hold her in place.

They stood together, and when she breathed it melted into his skin. He shivered despite the heat of their bodies pressed together. Alex scuffled to stand flatfooted once again. But moved ever closer to him, breathing him in. He always smelled like mint and aftershave, but now he smelt like mud. She couldn't get enough of it.

Alex placed her head right where Desmond's broad shoulders met his neck. Against her cheek she could feel his stubble tickle. On his shirt she could almost taste the mud and sweat. But she didn't care. All she wanted was more.

"Desmond," She whispered against the cloth of his shirt. "There's something you need to know."

The memory of Goodwin saying the same to her made her jolt slightly. Desmond had placed both arms around her back. The warmth of him, the solidity, was all around her.

"What is it, sistah," Desmond whispered back. His cheek was leaning against the side of her head, just above her ear. For a moment she thought she could actually feel him in her hair, like they could touch him as much as her skin could.

--

Goodwin held her face, cradled it, almost. He looked into Alex's eyes. It was as though he were searching for something.

"You're a good person, Alex," he said. For a moment, that's all he said. That was the conclusion he had come to. Instead of speaking, he leaned forward, touching his lips to hers. It was only for a second, if that. Nonetheless, it sent chills down her spine and not in a good way.

"Desmond is a good man," Goodwin said, his lips mere inches from hers. He was so close to her that when she looked at him it made her eyes cross. "We have a job for you."

--

"Whatever it is," Desmond said, "You can tell me."

She looked at him, at his trusting eyes. All this time she thought she could tell him anything. But this, this could ruin it all. What Goodwin had asked, what she agreed to do, it was unimaginable. Even after he told her about those he worked with, what they did.

"I met a man in the jungle," she started. "He wanted something from me." She paused and corrected herself, "From us."

Desmond's brow furrowed, "What? What did he want?"

--

"What? What do you want?" Alex asked Goodwin, furrowing her brows.

"A baby."

To be continued….

A/N: Okay, so I thought this would be the last chapter, but I was wrong. Hope you enjoyed! And thanks to everyone for reviewing this story!


	7. Chapter 7

Lonely No More

Chapter 7

Desmond stood before her, eyes searching her for some hint as to what was plaguing her. What was left of her courage was beginning to dissolve. If she told him that the whole reason she had ever known he existed on this island was because she agreed to a baby, he would never speak to her again. Their relationship built on a lie, he wouldn't stand for it.

"Alex, you need to tell me," he ran a dirty hand through her hair.

"It's nothing," she said a little too quickly. "You should get a shower."

With that, she backed away from him. He only stared at her in confusion. He knew that there was something important that she was about to tell him. She poured herself a glass of water, and intentionally did not look at him.

"Tell me," he said. She opened her mouth to tell him to let it go, but he beat her to the punch. "Don't even try it, sistah."

"Let it go, Desmond," Alex said, almost asked. There was an edge to her voice that made Desmond finally realize that he would not get the information out of her. As if on cue, Locke walked in.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Am I interrupting?"

Alex shook her head while Desmond said, "No, brotha, I was just about to shower."

--

"A baby?" Alex was beyond confused by Goodwin's response, to his forwardness. He only smiled at her, a cold, collective sort of smile. A shiver coursed through her entire body. She just stared at him, caught off her guard.

"I promise you, it's for the best," Goodwin said, as Alex tried to quickly jump away from him. But he held fast to her, unwilling to let go. "We need you to do this for us, Alex."

"Why? Why me?" she asked, for a moment she stopped trying to pull away.

"You're special. Important."

--

Alex sat at the couch next to the gun cabinet and listen to the steady stream of water from the shower. Locke sat in front of the ancient computer reading a book. She absently twirled a piece of loose hair around her index finger.

It had been a mistake not telling Desmond, she should have told him a long time ago. Never should have let Goodwin talk her into it in the first place. But now she understood how young she had been then, even if it was not that long ago, how naïve she had been. All she wanted was someone to love her and she made the mistake in thinking that it was Goodwin.

"Alex?" Desmond's voice came from the bathroom doorway. He stood there, towel around his waist, hair dripping wet. She could smell the vague fragrance of soap and shampoo wafting on the steam from the shower.

All Alex could so for the moment was blink. He looked so handsome, sexy. Far off she heard the rustle of Locke turning the page of his book. Her mind didn't really register this, only stared at the naked chest of the man in front of her.

"Alex?" He asked again. This time she looked up into his eyes. From day one they had held her captive and bared a soul that was in pain, but at the same time was hopeful. Now they showed fear, of what she was not certain.

Desmond watched as Alex suddenly stood and walked to him. The entire time, looking into his eyes, but saying nothing. She ran an absent hand through his hair. Her lips brushed against his almost timidly.

"He wanted me to give him something," she whispered, her upper lip grazing his bottom lip. Before Desmond could ask, she submitted the answer, "A baby. He wanted a baby."

Desmond pulled back as if he had been scorched. For a moment, all he did was stare at her with wide, dark eyes. He broke the gaze and walked into the bathroom without a word. She ran after him, only to have the door shut in her face.

"Please, Desmond, you have to listen to me, please," Alex cried, banging on the door. Locke had come out from his place behind the computer to see what the commotion was about. Alex glanced over to him, but decided to ignore him.

"I'm sorry, Desmond," she whispered. "Please, let me explain."

There was silence behind the door, except for the ruffle of clothes being pulled on. Desmond opened the door, fully dressed and looking very little as though he wanted to talk about anything.

"I have to go," he said, pushing past Alex.

"Desmond, please don't. Listen to me!" she began to chase after him as he angrily stomped toward the door. "He lied to me. He told me I was special, important. He told me it was for the good of the world."

"And you listened, did you?" Desmond spun around with fury. He went back to the door again and began to turn the wheel.

"I was alone! I was scared! I didn't know what to do!"

"So was I!" Desmond swung open the door and was starting to walk out, but Alex grabbed a-hold of his elbow as he walked across the threshold. He again turned to face her.

"He had been the first person I had seen on this island for fourteen years! I was alone, I had no one," Alex tried to explain, but Desmond's eyes still flickered with anger. "I didn't have a bunkmate like you, Desmond. You have no idea what it's like to be alone here for fourteen years.

"My mother killed my father. And from that moment on, I had no one. I had nothing. All I wanted to do was have someone, anyone, for any reason. But I met you and everything else changed. I wasn't lonely any more."

Desmond's eyes started to soften slightly as he saw how much it hurt Alex to talk about her life on the island. Her words pushed into the wall he tried to build around him.

"Why? Why would he want a child?" Desmond asked, beginning to calm down. His face was red, a sign of his passing anger.

"He said that they couldn't have children, he said we would be safe with them," Alex answered. Even with the distance that was now between them, Desmond could see her shaking. "He took me to you."

The previous revelation had struck Desmond as a surprise, but this one hurt him. There was a pain in his chest, like it was about to explode. In his mind, he had always thought that it was fate that brought them together, that it was meant to be.

"But I ran away from him," she tried to explain. "It was my mother, she woke me up and told me to run and I did. That's when I found you."

She paused for a moment. He looked with shock at this. He replied, "It was fate."

"Yes," Alex smiled. She moved close to him and he did not back away. They stood together near the threshold of the door. "It was fate, Desmond, it always was."

Desmond's breath began to calm from what it previously had been. Locke was silently doing a crossword puzzle, trying to appear as though he was not listening in. Desmond was thankful that Locke was staying out of the conversation. But to make sure that not all of what he said was overheard, he leaned closer to Alex. At least, that was his excuse.

"The moment I saw you, I knew," he slid his hand through her hair. His eyes were soft and dark. "You were the one."

A knot twisted inside of Alex's stomach when he admitted this. And suddenly his eyes were no longer dark, but shining with a light that had come from nowhere. The overwhelming feeling that she should run away washed over her. But then his lips softly pressed against hers and sent warmth over her mind and body. This was where she belonged and she knew it.

"I love you, Desmond," she said, lips brushing against his. "I was scared, even to be with you. You know I don't like staying in one place for long."

They shared a secret smile. There was a cough from behind them. They both turned to see Locke, crossword puzzle in hand.

"I just reset the clock, she's all yours," Locke said, eyebrow arching. There was a hint that the "she" might not just mean the clock. He moved past them, giving Desmond a smile and a wink and left them in the silence of the hatch.

Once the door to the outside world was shut and Desmond knew Locke was completely gone, Desmond grabbed Alex carefully by the sides of her face and brought her in for a kiss. For the first second, Alex was taken aback but quickly decided she should kiss Desmond back. The knot in her stomach had not untangled itself and she was not entirely sure she wanted it to.

Her head began to spin and distantly she felt Desmond's arms move down around her waist. Her heard began to thud as she felt his hands move to her hips. It felt as though she was swimming and she was not entirely sure what she herself was doing with her own hands.

All she cared was that she was here with him. His hands were moving against her skin, sending shivers and warmth everywhere. When his breath would move against her lips, it was like his life moved against her, all around her.

--

It was night when they finally set up a camp. Goodwin had found one of the campsites that he said his people had previously used so there were blankets. She had asked him a question that he had yet to answer. Eventually he noticed her silence.

"The two of you were meant to be together and you know it," Goodwin said, "You knew it as soon as you saw him come out of the water, even without really seeing him. The same way I knew you would help us."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Alex said, looking up to him. Goodwin sat down beside her and placed a comforting arm around, which in reality, did not give her much comfort at all.

"I'm sorry, Alex, he's sick" Goodwin whispered softly. "You're going to have to kill him."

A/N: Finally, another chapter finished! I am so sorry it took so long. I think the next chapter will be the very last. I've got two endings in mind and I haven't made up my mind as to which I'm going to use. Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews, I really appreciate them!


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